The Cursed

Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Kelly Reilly, Alistair Petrie, Roxane Duran, Nigel Betts, Stuart Bowman, Simon Kunz, Amelia Crouch, Max Mackintosh, Tommy Rodger
Directed by: Sean Ellis
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A small community is terrorized by a supernatural presence after murdering a band of gypsies.

Review:

Tim: I appreciated Sean Ellis' more artistic approach to his period horror movie, but The Cursed ultimately feels a bit too bland. It has some nice moments and impressive visuals, but it never congeals together into a truly compelling film. I haven't seen any of Ellis' work since 2006's Cashback. This one retains that artistic, independent flavor while also feeling a bit more mainstream. I would say Ellis has improved on that earlier film here, but I'd have hoped he would have delivered a better film. He has more experience, but this feels awfully close to his earlier film.

I'm always down for a werewolf movie and this one does have some interesting ideas thrown in. The role of the gypsies in was interesting and I loved the visuals of the human scarecrow. That was quite unsettling and the movie wisely returns to it time and again. The silver fangs were a nice visual touch and I loved how Ellis made the movie feel like a bit of a mysterious wolfhunt. There's not a ton of original ideas here, but Ellis does combine these various elements into something that feels fairly fresh.

The cinematography is impressive throughout the film. I liked the way the film was shot. The visual effects were impressive- the transformation of infected people was fairly horrifying. The human scarecrow was eerie, for sure. The film is a period piece (which helps), but Ellis seems to show restraint in the visuals. They're simple and straightforward, and the movie benefits from that.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Boyd Holbrook was quite effective in the lead role. I've mostly seen him in smaller, forgettable supporting roles. He didn't impress me at all in 2018's The Predator as having any hope of being a lead actor. I might have been wrong, because here he gives a performance of some depth, showing his haunted past while projecting intelligence and strength. It might not be a great performance, but it's a surprisingly good one. I really liked him in the lead role and I thought he carried the movie well. He needs to keep doing movies like this to continue to hone his craft.

I loved seeing Kelly Reilly here, but I was disappointed she had such a small, thankless role. She's been showing the sheer depth of talent she has on Yellowstone and other projects and she's too good for this "mother/wife" supporting role. I kept wanting her to have the chance to do something of real substance, but she never really gets the chance. That was disappointing. Alistair Petrie was quite effective in his unlikable supporting role. He did exactly what was needed for that character. The rest of the supporting cast was adequate, but there weren't nearly enough standout performances.

This movie is definitely atmospheric, but Ellis never really pulls these strands together into a truly exciting or memorable narrative. There's too many aspects of the film that are frustrating or nonsensical. I'll give one example. There's a scene where Holbrook discovers some blood outside. He asks his hosts where the maid is. No one knows. And so, they all retreat to their rooms to sleep. You're telling me that if you knew a supernatural werewolf creature was on the loose, saw bloodied clothing outside at your home, and a member of your staff was missing, this is how you would react? Ellis wrote the screenplay and while there's legitimately good ideas, it's too uneven.

I felt like The Cursed wasn't able to capitalize on its individual strengths. This gothic horror film ultimately feels a bit too forgettable. A good example of this is the name change- it premiered at Sundance as Eight for Silver. That's a cool title. The Cursed is generic, which might ultimately be fitting because despite a few strengths, Ellis' film ultimately feels too long, too bland, and not good enough. Still, I'm slightly encouraged by the film's strengths and would be curious to see if Ellis could finally break through with a good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cashback, The Others, Crimson Peak